“Across the State, reports of waterlogged roads, flooded neighbourhoods, fallen trees, and damaged infrastructure have emerged within days of sustained rainfall. Traffic movement has been affected, power supply disrupted, and citizens left struggling with conditions that should have been anticipated and addressed well before the arrival of the monsoon.
The most glaring question is: where is the State Disaster Management Authority?
The very purpose of disaster management is not merely to react after a crisis unfolds but to anticipate risks, minimise damage, and ensure rapid response. Disaster management is about preparedness, coordination, and visible action. Yet, in the midst of widespread disruption, the SDMA appears absent from public view and public action.”
Every year, the arrival of the monsoon in Goa is treated as if it were an unforeseen calamity. Every year, citizens are assured that lessons have been learned, preparations have been completed, and agencies are fully equipped to deal with the challenges of the rainy season. Yet, with the first spell of heavy rains, the familiar scenes return: uprooted trees, snapped power lines, flooded roads, overflowing drains, stranded commuters, and disrupted daily life.
This year is no different.
What makes the present situation even more troubling is that the State had ample warning and sufficient time to prepare. The delayed onset of the monsoon provided government departments, district administrations, municipal bodies, and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) with an extended window to complete pre-monsoon works, clear drains, identify vulnerable locations, trim dangerous trees, strengthen emergency response systems, and coordinate rescue mechanisms.
Instead, Goa appears to have been caught unprepared once again.
Across the State, reports of waterlogged roads, flooded neighbourhoods, fallen trees, and damaged infrastructure have emerged within days of sustained rainfall. Traffic movement has been affected, power supply disrupted, and citizens left struggling with conditions that should have been anticipated and addressed well before the arrival of the monsoon.
The most glaring question is: where is the State Disaster Management Authority?
The very purpose of disaster management is not merely to react after a crisis unfolds but to anticipate risks, minimise damage, and ensure rapid response. Disaster management is about preparedness, coordination, and visible action. Yet, in the midst of widespread disruption, the SDMA appears absent from public view and public action.
For months, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, district collectors, and senior officials have been holding review meetings, conducting inspections, and issuing assurances about monsoon preparedness. Press releases highlighted plans, strategies, and coordination efforts. Citizens were repeatedly told that all necessary precautions were being taken.
However, the situation on the ground paints a very different picture.
Meetings do not clear drains. Presentations do not prevent flooding. Reviews do not stop trees from collapsing onto roads and power lines. What matters is execution, and execution appears to have failed.
The recurrence of the same problems year after year suggests that the issue is not a lack of knowledge but a lack of accountability. Authorities know which areas flood regularly. They know which roads become dangerous during heavy rainfall. They know which drains remain clogged and which trees pose risks. None of these are surprises. They are recurring challenges that demand sustained attention and preventive action.
The public has every right to ask why, despite months of preparation, basic infrastructure continues to collapse under predictable weather conditions.
Equally concerning is the apparent disconnect between government claims and ground realities. If preparedness measures were genuinely completed, why are so many areas experiencing the same difficulties that have plagued Goa for years? If disaster response teams were on alert, why do citizens feel abandoned when roads are submerged and essential services disrupted?
The credibility of institutions is measured not by the number of meetings held but by their effectiveness when tested. The current situation raises uncomfortable questions about the functioning of the disaster management apparatus and the seriousness with which preparedness exercises are undertaken.
The monsoon is not an unexpected disaster. It is an annual event that arrives with remarkable predictability. A State that depends heavily on tourism, commerce, and public mobility cannot afford to stumble into crisis every rainy season.
The government must move beyond ceremonial reviews and post-event assessments. There must be a transparent audit of pre-monsoon preparations, clear accountability for lapses, and a comprehensive evaluation of the State’s disaster management systems.
Goans deserve more than assurances. They deserve functioning infrastructure, responsive agencies, and a disaster management authority that is visible, effective, and prepared when it matters most.
Until that happens, every flooded road, every uprooted tree, and every disrupted household will stand as evidence of a system that continues to fail despite having every opportunity to succeed.
